Miranda Kerr struggled to getting bookings when she was signed to Next according to the Daily Mail. I think her big break came in when she was around 21 or something but nether the less, what other models have suffered rejection from agencies. Joan Smalls, what's the story with her?

Miranda Kerr struggled to getting bookings when she was signed to Next according to the Daily Mail. I think her big break came in when she was around 21 or something but nether the less, what other models have suffered rejection from agencies. Joan Smalls, what's the story with her?

joan was just a catalog model when she started. i think elite poorly mismanaged her, and it wasn't until her switch to img and givenchy couture exclusive in 2010 that made her an instant star.

I thought Joan was rejected at first. Who else has suffered rejection? Any models who suffered rejection when sending in snap shots but signed on portfolio images?Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah she talks about being turned away during her first visit to NYC in her W magazine interview.

I think most of these models were actively pursuing modeling though so they had portfolio images.

I know for a fact that Lindsey Wixson wasn't as "new" as everyone was saying as she was in the LA market with Vision already and had a local agency in Kansas. She was only rejected during her first try getting placed in NYC. She definitely had portfolio images when she was trying to go for NYC.

I'm pretty sure it's the same with Daria and Joan because they were working in their local market before they tried NYC.

Yeah she talks about being turned away during her first visit to NYC in her W magazine interview.

I think most of these models were actively pursuing modeling though so they had portfolio images.

I know for a fact that Lindsey Wixson wasn't as "new" as everyone was saying as she was in the LA market with Vision already and had a local agency in Kansas. She was only rejected during her first try getting placed in NYC. She definitely had portfolio images when she was trying to go for NYC.

I'm pretty sure it's the same with Daria and Joan because they were working in their local market before they tried NYC.

Thanks for your reply on that, it's so good that models tried with portfolio images rather than snap shots, I think having portfolio images can some times make a huge difference, agencies may see how able a model is, take her based on experience, see how well she works fashion, etc and I think that some times they do help when models first get rejected, would you agree on that?

I read an article on Joan's booker at IMG a while back saying that he made her stop going to castings wearing combat boots and instead wear heels in order to make her look taller and make her legs look longer. He also really kept pushing her on high fashion clients even after they initially said no and said she was too "catalogue."
Ivan Bart at IMG said that when she moved there from Click, he went with her to castings in order to convince clients of her potential.
This is why IMG is the top agency. They're not just sending girls they believe in out on castings and leaving it up to them solely to get jobs.

Thanks for your reply on that, it's so good that models tried with portfolio images rather than snap shots, I think having portfolio images can some times make a huge difference, agencies may see how able a model is, take her based on experience, see how well she works fashion, etc and I think that some times they do help when models first get rejected, would you agree on that?

Yes, I think showing experience helps bigger agencies because they will know that the girl already gets it and doesn't need a lot of hand holding. It's also good if a model can show their talent in portfolio pictures that wouldn't otherwise show up in basic, straight polaroids.

I forgot to mention, I think Wixson was also "discovered" by Meisel when models.com posted her polaroids/video from Vision. I think this was during the same time she was looking at agencies in NYC and only one agency wanted her off her book/snaps but then Meisel came into the story and then everyone wanted her.

I read an article on Joan's booker at IMG a while back saying that he made her stop going to castings wearing combat boots and instead wear heels in order to make her look taller and make her legs look longer. He also really kept pushing her on high fashion clients even after they initially said no and said she was too "catalogue."
Ivan Bart at IMG said that when she moved there from Click, he went with her to castings in order to convince clients of her potential.
This is why IMG is the top agency. They're not just sending girls they believe in out on castings and leaving it up to them solely to get jobs.

Click? She was with Elite NY before.

They leveraged her bookings with Lara which helped a lot as Lara was the "it" girl at the time.

Although, you know, not just every model gets this treatment. It depends on who is their booker. Joan was really lucky to work with the same booker who worked on Lara's career.

Sounds like IMG are one good agency, I know when Lara Stone struggled to get work for SEVEN YEARS she became a star when signing to IMG!

They have a variety of models on their books and try to get them high fashion work, they also represent sports illustrated models like Heidi Klum and Kate Upton. I think they also put models out there internationally as they have international offices.

Though I can imagine it may be hard for models to get accepted by them. They rejected Lindsey Wixson in New York until Marilyn saw something in her. Yes she was signed to Vision in LA first and I think they are a commercial agency so I can see why some people strangely think Lindsey is more commercial. Though her agency in Kansas was probably a less reputable one and Kansas may not have much fashion association. It's still good that she built portfolio images and attracted Marilyn with them and such. I do remember hearing her big break came through when she was spotted on Models.com by a top photographer. Some times it feels like photographers and clients want a model but an agency doesn't.

I wonder if IMG would be interested in signing Lindsey on now that she's a big star, some models I wonder why IMG hasn't signed them on yet. There are a lot of stories about models actively trying to get in the industry. One model I'm inspired by is Bambi but I am wondering was she ever rejected, did she have previous experience before making it on the books of a big Australian agency?

I did my research and Wiki Fashion says that Bambi had been working on a modelling career for about three years. I am guessing she was also signed on portfolio images rather than snap shots and I'm sure that if it's true she had been working on a career for about three years then she would have also been rejected by agencies on her quest.

I know models in my local area, not top models but they also claim they went through rejection after rejection and it was through portfolio building that slightly bigger agencies took them on.

Sounds like IMG are one good agency, I know when Lara Stone struggled to get work for SEVEN YEARS she became a star when signing to IMG!

They have a variety of models on their books and try to get them high fashion work, they also represent sports illustrated models like Heidi Klum and Kate Upton. I think they also put models out there internationally as they have international offices.

Though I can imagine it may be hard for models to get accepted by them. They rejected Lindsey Wixson in New York until Marilyn saw something in her. Yes she was signed to Vision in LA first and I think they are a commercial agency so I can see why some people strangely think Lindsey is more commercial. Though her agency in Kansas was probably a less reputable one and Kansas may not have much fashion association. It's still good that she built portfolio images and attracted Marilyn with them and such. I do remember hearing her big break came through when she was spotted on Models.com by a top photographer. Some times it feels like photographers and clients want a model but an agency doesn't.

I wonder if IMG would be interested in signing Lindsey on now that she's a big star, some models I wonder why IMG hasn't signed them on yet. There are a lot of stories about models actively trying to get in the industry. One model I'm inspired by is Bambi but I am wondering was she ever rejected, did she have previous experience before making it on the books of a big Australian agency?

It's pretty well known that IMG called Wixson back asking to sign her after hearing that Steven Meisel likes her.

Yes, LA in general is a commercial market. I believe her portfolio images were very "commercial" in that sense when she was aiming for the NYC market.

And you're right about how there is an incongruence that what agencies want isn't necessarily what clients want and vice versa. I hear time and time again bookers saying "we know what we're doing" but seeing that so many of the top staples like Daria, Joan, Lindsey and even Lara's story had rejection kind of proves that they're not always right with who they sign on. So let's say IMG rejected Lindsey at first, well they probably signed on a handful of girls that same time that never went on and will never succeed as much as Lindsey did. These are also the girls that clients, in interviews, say the most positive things and swoon over how they're different than the majority of models available for booking.

Yeah I know in the UK where I am there is a very big commercial agency called MOT and if you check out their site it looks like they are becoming very high fashion, it seems that way with a lot of agencies like Vision too. I would have no idea what Lindsey's images look like when she was approaching NYC.

I have also heard agencies say "We know what we are looking for" So many girls on their books on the new faces board for two-three years and no work so I am wondering what are they looking for really. Clients seem interested in models and so do photographers like on Models.com and Model Mayhem, etc and often there are top clients on there who have contacts with bigger agencies and such, I suppose some models get the chance to develop portfolios from there and network which in turns helps an agency see potential in them to sign them on, where as without networking and portfolio building the agency would have just said no.

I'm finding Bambi a true inspiration at the moment. I mean she will have also had rejections from clients but I think that she's doing pretty well in building her way up, she keeps getting bigger and bigger, like at first a publication in RUSSH magazine was nothing compared to a H and M campaign and so on.

Vision is going much more commercial, signing lots of shorter more commercial girls the last few months. Lindsay was only signed with them a short time when meisel saw her portfolio video in a black swimsuit on models.com. Marilyn scout met her at dinner and said he never met someone who knew so much about modeling and she interviewed him. Impressed he saw something and signed her.

Vision is going much more commercial, signing lots of shorter more commercial girls the last few months. Lindsay was only signed with them a short time when meisel saw her portfolio video in a black swimsuit on models.com. Marilyn scout met her at dinner and said he never met someone who knew so much about modeling and she interviewed him. Impressed he saw something and signed her.

I checked their books yesterday and she's still with Vision. I am guessing Marilyn also liked the experience but how would she contact a scout and talk over dinner, normally you go into the office?